Standoff after fatal shooting in Galt

Thursday

Nov 29, 2012 at 12:01 AM

GALT - A Sacramento County Animal Control officer was killed and a bank representative wounded Wednesday as they were trying to deal with several cats and dogs left inside a home where the occupant had been evicted the previous day, leading to a stand-off that continued into the evening, officials said.

Keith Reid

GALT - A Sacramento County Animal Control officer was killed and a bank representative wounded Wednesday as they were trying to deal with several cats and dogs left inside a home where the occupant had been evicted the previous day, leading to a stand-off that continued into the evening, officials said.

The two-story home, in the 600 block of First Street, had fallen into foreclosure.

Police evacuated six nearby homes, and a standoff ensued as they tried to contact whoever was inside the home. Six more houses were also in the evacuation area, but no one was at those homes Wednesday afternoon.

It is unclear who was in the home.

"We don't know if the suspected gunman was the same person who was evicted yesterday," said Sgt. Jason Ramos, a spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department. "Visual contact has not been made."

During the eviction Tuesday, the owner said he could not care for the pets. Under California law, when someone is evicted and leaves pets behind, the bank is responsible for their care. So the bank representative returned Wednesday with an animal-control officer to deal with the pets.

When the pair approached the home about noon Wednesday, they were struck by gunfire through the front door, officials said. The animal-control officer was shot in the chest, and the bank representative suffered a superficial wound, Ramos said. The representative flagged down a Galt police volunteer, who sought help.

Sacramento County Animal Control officers do not carry firearms.

Ramos said he did not know how many animals were in the home, but a pit bull was outside.

The shooting in Galt was reminiscent of a fatal shooting in April in Modesto, where Stanislaus County sheriff's Deputy Robert Paris and locksmith Glendon Engert were gunned down in April as they were evicting a man from his condominium.

Jim Richard Ferrario blasted through the front door during the eviction process, killing Paris and Engert, officials said. Ferrario later took his own life.

In California, when an eviction occurs, the locks are changed immediately to prevent an occupant from re-entering the building, and the occupant has a limited time to make an appointment to retrieve belongings left behind.